I just finished writing the review for Sharp North, which I read this past weekend. At 528 pages, it rivals Harry Potter for thickest YA book, at least in my experience. It took me a bit to really get into it, probably because I’m not a big reader of science fiction, but once I got going, I really enjoyed it. It takes place in England a couple centuries from now, when global warming has already flooded the country, and genetic engineering and population control are key interests of the police state society. A group of ruling families habitually (and secretly) clone themselves, which is where the female protagonist, Mira, comes in. She goes from being a complete innocent in the frozen mountains of Scotland, to a kick-ass survivalist in London, trying to figure out what’s going on and her place in everything. Her transformation from wide-eyed teenage naif to a Xena-like character was a bit of a stretch, but still a great read, and Cave’s answers to the questions ‘what if’ are truly frightening.